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In Python and Ruby you can duplicate a string by running the multiply operator (*) on a string object, and in perl you can use the x operator. There have been many times when I've looked at this facility and said to myself "very nice, but isn't that a feature looking for a benefit" - in other word ....

Perl's a great language for special variables - variables that are set up without the programmer having to intervene and providing information ranging from the number of lines read from the current input file ($.) through the current process ID ($$) and the operating system ($^O). Other special var ....

You can hold multiple scalars in either a list or a hash in Perl. A list (signaled by an @ character or [..] around the subscript) is ordered - i.e. the elements are numbered and the order is significant. In contrast, a hash (signalled by a % character or {..} around the subscript) is unordered; t ....

I understand that there's a new online shoot'em application available. You can raise and lower your gun, aim, file, pull the trigger and kill wildlife during a walk in the woods, all without leaving your living room.
It all seems very realistic and that's not a surprise because it IS real. With t ....

Mary was engrossed in her conversation with her workmates last night. Lisa and I nipped into a near-empty (apart from 8 staff) McDonalds and walked up to the counter and stood there for what felt like an age. I'm guessing that they've got some form of inspection today as the frenetic activity going ....

"Nice program, Bill - but the output is a bit verbose. Can you take out some print statements". So said one of my delegates' bosses this week, late in the day just before a new application went live. Alas ... the application fell over just because the print had been removed.
In Perl - that was th ....

Polymorphism is the ability of a piece of common code to process a piece of data in different ways depending on its type. It's a great facility, talked about a lot in theory and on courses ... but then what about its practical use? Here's a very simple little example from last week, showing ho ....

The George Hotel, Melksham, stood on the corner or Lowborne and Bath Road - prime real estate in the town centre; alas, it was demolished around 60 years ago to make way for a modern (then) parade of shops which now are showing their age and considered to something of an eyesore in many of our Vista ....

When you're in a loop there are occasions you want to say get me our of this loop NOW, or "I'm done with the current iteration. And those are the 'classic' break and continue statements from C, C++ and Java. Languages like Perl changed break to last and continue to next ... and added a redo that ....

Perhaps the ultimate "rave review" for some of our new facilities and offerings is the customer who asks for details of our supplier so that he too can get in touch with them about their product for his personal use, or the customer who comes to us on business and returns just for the pleasure.
I'm ....

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